Ice cream lovers to me! In Milan you eat everything very well, and ice cream is no exception. But where to go to taste one, exactly? Here is the list of the best ice cream parlors in Milan according to my – very greedy – experience.
Raise your hand who, like me, couldn’t do without ice cream. Whether it’s summer or winter, whether it’s a cone or a cup: a nice homemade ice cream is one of those things I can never resist . In Milan, the city where I have lived for several years, there are dozens of really good ice cream parlors: but which are the best ice cream shops in Milan?
Yes, because if I eat ice cream, I want to eat it good: creamy, melt-in-your-mouth, with a strong flavor. I can’t say I’m the greatest expert but, for sure, I know a little about good ice creams: with all the ones I’ve tried in my life! This is why I would like to recommend some of the best ice cream parlors in Milan, with indications on the tastes tried, the place and the area . If you are ready for this itinerary among the best ice creams in Milan … spoon in hand, off you go!
The best ice cream parlors in Milan… in my opinion
I tried most of the ice cream parlors I’m about to list in the summer of 2020; some, on the other hand, I had tried them in the past, while others I know so well that I can consider myself a very loyal customer. This list cannot be defined as exhaustive, nor objective : I have not tried all the ice cream parlors in Milan and, when I tried them, I was certainly not able to try all the flavors. What is certain is that in this post you will find mostly creams – fruit ice cream is not my strong point – especially when it comes to hazelnut and pistachio which are my absolute favorites.
The list is in alphabetical order to “do no wrong” to any of the best ice cream parlors in Milan … although I obviously have my favorites . I’ll tell you immediately: Sartori, Terra, Borsieri, Latteneve. But there are so many to try, just as I myself have yet to know so many!
For each ice cream parlor, you will also find information on the official website, timetables and, above all, the address and the nearest metro stops . So you already know where to go next time!
Accademia 64
Let’s start with a slightly secluded ice cream parlor, winner of Un Cono Gambero Rosso in 2020 : a small place, an adjacent laboratory, many flavors from natural ingredients and offered to customers in rotation. When I went, there were flavors such as cheesecake, mascarpone with caramelized figs, coconut cream, cuneese with rum, Sicilian almond …
I tried my usual hazelnut , then the salted pistachio and the zabaglione con stravecchio ; the latter a little too delicate, the others with defined flavors. The super good waffle cone!
Alberto Marchetti
A small but very nice ice cream parlor, a stone’s throw from the Corso Ventidue Marzo shopping artery. I must admit: the ice cream I tried did not make me crazy because the flavors were too delicate for my tastes, but Alberto Marchetti’s is still considered by many to be one of the best ice cream parlors in Milan.
Alberto has been an ice cream maker practically since birth – his father had an ice cream shop in Nichelino, Piedmont – and, after opening his ice cream shops in Turin and Alba (plus one in Alassio, Liguria), the small but pretty shop in Milan. A simple ice cream, with essential ingredients and tastes that change often: I tried crunchy hazelnuts and marsala zabaglione , but I was also inspired by extra-dark chocolate, meliga and lime cream, bonét, tiramisu, salted caramel white chocolate …
Antica Gelateria Sartori
Ok, let’s talk clearly: for me, Sartori is not only one of the best ice cream parlors in Milan… it’s also my absolute favorite . It will be because it is close to home, it will be because the guys behind the counter are always nice, or maybe it will be because any taste tasted is a feast for my taste buds … I love this little place and, despite all the ice creams I tried in Milan, it remains the my favourite.
I’m not the only one who thinks so, though: Sartori is one of the oldest ice cream parlors in Milan, opened by Andrea Sartori back in 1937 under the motto of “Gelati Sartori, Gelati Superiori!”. The “club” is nothing more than a little hut a little hidden behind a corner of the Central station; the position itself is not particularly happy, but it is the right pit stop for a delicious ice cream (but also for a Sicilian granita or brioche) before taking the train.
The tastes? Nothing extravagant: the normal fruit flavors, then hazelnut, pistachio, raw pistachio, bacio, chocolate, cream, fiordilatte … You will also find the flavors of the past , which are no longer easily found around: walnut, cassata, malaga, chestnut , nougat … In the end, I always take the same ones: hazelnut , raw pistachio and malaga . They are really delicious, very intense in flavor as I like them. And then the doses are generous: in the hazelnut there are many pieces (even some whole hazelnuts, at times), in the malaga the raisins are in quantity.
Here I always take the cup, because they only have the normal cone and not in pods as I like them. The whipped cream is one of the best tasted in Milan.
Artico Gelateria Tradizionale
Certainly among the best ice cream parlors in Milan in a more or less objective way: in 2020, Artico obtained the Three Cones of Gambero Rosso . Artico’s ice cream comes from the thirty years of experience of the master ice cream makers of the group led by Maurizio Poloni. The result is excellent: I tried different flavors of a nice creamy ice cream, without additives, made with natural ingredients; I liked them all, although I found them all a little too delicate for my taste. Hazel , savory pistachio , varied pistachio mascarpone cream – exceptional -, Sicilian cannoli , passion fruit , berries : to enjoy. The whipped creamit is as I like it: whipped very firm and not too sweet; the cone , in a crunchy and fragrant wafer, is one of my favorites.
Artico is located in two locations in Milan: a stone’s throw from the Duomo or in the trendy Isola district . I’ve been to this last ice cream parlor, which has a beautiful style (brick walls and wooden ceiling) and a counter with lots of different flavors. There is also a line of flavors dedicated to the traditional flavors of Milan and Lombardy , such as resolatte or pan meino. Finally, the Arctic group also organizes professional ice cream courses.
Biancolatte
Biancolatte is a rather well-known place in Milan: cafeteria, patisserie, restaurant, ice cream parlor, household items shop and more… It is perhaps a slightly un-Italian format, but which is always very popular. The place is beautifully large and set up in a sort of modern country-cich; although here you can eat many things, it is for the ice cream that I always end up going there.
Biancolatte ice cream is one of my favorites in Milan, because it is light but tasty, with well-defined flavors. Here too you can find the classic flavors and those a little more creative: the last time I tried the variegated chocolate with salted pistachio , a real pleasure! But also hazelnut, cream, stracciatella, biscuit, different types of chocolate and fruit; the ice cream is fresh and prepared with natural ingredients in the open laboratory. For me it is worth trying!
Borsieri
Isola is a neighborhood halfway between the trendy and the popular, where old-fashioned shops mix with the trendiest clubs. Via Borsieri is the main artery, and right here is this ice cream parlor which I entered a bit by chance. Luckily I did: I discovered what, for me, is one of the best ice cream parlors in Milan!
The restaurant is large and simple, with a beautiful counter full of different tastes, both classic and creative; there are several variegates with chocolate, nutella, pistachio, caramel… For sure it’s the right place for the sweet tooth !! We tried flavors like raw pistachio , biscuit , white chocolate and cereal , peanut and caramel – all super good! Two special mentions: the waffle cone is one of the best I have tried in Milan, and the portions are really generous for a price in line with those of the city!
Chocolat
One of the best ice cream parlors in Milan to enjoy an excellent chocolate ice cream : there is no doubt, Chocolat. The dark and refined place is designed to make you live a little luxury experience; on the other hand, chocolate is often synonymous with vice and lust, isn’t it?
The ice cream counter makes your mouth water just looking at it; the types of chocolate offered are really many . Simple or more creative combinations: dark, milk, chilli, candied orange, rum, and then cremino, nutella and many other flavors of creams, dried fruit and fresh fruit. The place is also a pastry shop, whose main dishes are, needless to say, chocolates or chocolate-based cakes and sweets!
Ciacco
3 Gambero Rosso cones also for Stefano Guizzetto and his Ciacco, one of the best ice cream parlors in Milan located right in the heart of the historic center, a stone’s throw from the Duomo .
The restaurant, small but with a few tables where you can sit, offers many flavors, some classic and others a little more alternative, but all based on natural ingredients and linked to the seasonality of the products. Extensive use is made of spices, herbs and alcohol to create creative combinations of a creamy and never too cloying ice cream. I’ve been there several times and I’ve tried different tastes: from hazelnut to cheesecake with ricotta, from pistachio cream to zabaglione; all great, there is nothing to say.
Dolomiti
An unpretentious café, which also offers few but good flavors of ice cream; I passed it a bit by chance during my walk along the Martesana, and I must say that I really liked the ice cream! Very creamy and with an intense flavor , it is perfect to be enjoyed in the greenery nearby or even at the tables of the restaurant. The wafer cone is good!
Don Peppinu
Are you looking for a bit of Sicily in Milan? Don Peppinu is the right place for you: ice cream, Sicilian granita, brioche with tuppo, cannoli. The master ice cream maker is Beppe Flamingo, a failed lawyer who has cut his teeth in the ice cream parlors of his Sicily. Before entering I was afraid that it was a somewhat “cool” place, where the quality of the products would be at the expense of the image of “Siciality” at all costs.
I was wrong: I really liked the ice cream, and I can’t help but consider it one of the best ice cream parlors in Milan! Few flavors, between classic and creative : Modica chocolate with chilli and cinnamon, raw pistachio, sheep’s milk ricotta, Sicilian almond … I tried the Settemezzo (hazelnut, creamy with crunchy hazelnut and gianduia), Signor Calacauso (salted peanuts, dulce de leche and milk chocolate flakes) and Camilleri (mandarin flower, chopped almonds, pistachios and chocolate): enjoyment! The waffle cone is also good.
Duomo Gelatieri dal 1952
I had spotted this ice cream shop several times because I often pass by Cincinnato. In the end I tried it and was not particularly impressed with the service, but the ice cream itself is very good! There were few flavors available: I tried pistachio , hazelnut and dark chocolate , all creamy and tasty at the right point. Other flavors to try? Mostly the classic ones: ricotta, nougat, coffee, Modica chocolate, zabaglione, almond, tiramisu, cassata, zuppa inglese.
Also in this case it is an ice cream shop of Sicilian origin; here the ice cream is produced daily in the laboratories of the various stores, and many of the raw materials come from the estate owned in Sicily . Here, too, Sicilian granitas, cannoli, brioche with tuppo and other small regional sweets are sold.
Gelateria Etnica
Ok, I have to be honest: personally, I don’t consider it among the best ice cream parlors in Milan. The ice cream I tried was good but the consistency was a bit “dusty”. I would like to point it out, however, for its particularity: just as the name suggests, here you can find truly exotic flavors, coming from all continents : on the wall you will find a large map of the world and the origin of all tastes to try. I tasted Ube , a type of purple Asian potato; but there are also flavors such as saffron, dulce de leche, red beans, aloe vera… It’s a bit like going around the world through ice cream!
The place, which is also a bar, is rather spartan, different from the Milanese “cool” ones. The price is lower than the average of Milan’s ice cream parlors.
Gelato Giusto
With a cute little cow as its logo and Due Coni Gambero Rosso in 2020 , Gelato Giusto is one of my favorite ice cream parlors in Milan; it is a small place but that brings serenity and has a staff all in pink led by Vittoria Bertolazzo, ice cream maker and pastry with a high level training between London and Paris.
Here the ice cream is “right” because it is prepared every day and its ingredients are all fresh, natural and, when possible, of regional or national origin. I find it a simple and light ice cream, really enjoyable; I tried different flavors, such as pistachio , ricotta with apricot and amaretti , hazelnut and peanuts ; but tastes change often, there are never too many but the most creative combinations are never lacking. Those who love super fresh flavors – from mint flower to ginger and lime – will always find something good here. Mention to the waffle cone : very good!
Il Felice Gelato
I discovered this ice cream shop a little by chance and I let myself be tempted by the modern and well-kept restaurant that overlooks the beautiful Piazza Risorgimento. The counter offers a wide selection of flavors, both cream and fruit, and there are also flavors of the H2O line, water-based and, therefore, vegan and lactose-free .
I tried hazelnut and pistachio , of course: both very good. Then the cremino , rich in chocolate; the “ask me if I’m happy” (veriagto fiordilatte with pistachio, good but a little dull); the “philosophy” (wild berries and water-based purple carrot). There are several chocolates: I tried chocolate with rum which is truly spatial, it feels like tasting a bar of chocolate.
Il Massimo del Gelato
Founded in 2001 by the Milanese Massimo Travani and managed together with his wife Mirela and son Alessio, the ice cream parlor Il Massimo del Gelato won Un Cono Gambero Rosso in 2020 and offers a nice selection of fruit and cream flavors, without resulting in proposals too creative. It is a bit like the paradise of those who love chocolate : here, it is available in 10 different flavors!
We tasted the “Cavour” chocolate, with black cherries and rosolio : a show! But there are many others: with cinnamon, chilli, candied orange, various spirits … Among other flavors, we launched on pistachio , zabaglione and salted caramel : all good and creamy.
La Bottega del Gelato Cardelli
Cardelli is one of the historic ice cream parlors in Milan, opened by Giunetto Cardelli in 1964 and still in business with its slightly retro-flavored place. In 2015 it became the “Historical Shop” of Milan, and already in 2009 the Gold Medal ad Honorem from the Academy of Italian Gelato.
There are many flavors to try: many are based on Italian products of excellence, such as hazelnut from the Langhe or pistachio from Bronte. But there are also often quite particular fruit flavors , such as prickly pear, strawberry tree, carambola, tamarind, avocado … If you like fruit flavors, this is the right place to try every one! I tried grapes, American grapes – very intense! – and then, among the creams, malaga, cream with crunchy and zibibbo. Some flavors, like the latter, are not really ice cream but sorbets.
This historic ice cream shop still sells things that were in fashion several decades ago: ice cream filled fruits! Do you remember them? I haven’t tried them since I was a child, but it’s always nice to see them behind the Cardelli windows.
Sore point (for me) of this place? The cone: I only like the waffle, while here there are only the old-fashioned cones.
La Gelateria della Musica
The original idea of the guys behind the Gelateria della Musica lies in the combination of the taste of ice cream with the different musical sounds; as stated on the website, the goal is to “excite customers as much as music can do” . The result is a small chain of simple and flavoursome ice cream shops with a beautiful, intense and decisive flavor. I have been to the one in the Abruzzi area and, I must admit, as soon as I entered I thought I made a huge mistake, because the ice cream in the tubs didn’t seem to look good. Instead I tried it and I really had to change my mind: very good !!
Each taste is called with a singer or a musical group; I tried salted pistachio , biscuit and peanuts (I know, I’m monotonous!), but there are several that inspire me: black salt pear, salted chocolate, white chocolate ganache with pine nuts, cheesecake, coffee with rum and macaroons … The most emblematic taste of this ice cream parlor is bread, butter and jam : they told me to be exceptional, I can’t wait to try it!
LatoG
Pistachio, hazelnut, peanut butter, biscuit, and then many fresh fruit flavors and some slightly more particular flavors; in this ice cream parlor ( Un Cono Gambero Rosso 2020 ) the tastes are not many, but they have a nice fresh and decisive flavor. LatoG is a franchise with a young and gritty soul, currently present in three points in Milan and then in Rome, Lucca, Santa Margherita Ligure and even in the United States, in Florida.
LatteNeve
If you are in the Navigli area and you are craving an ice cream, LatteNeve should be your first choice for me! It is difficult to find an ice cream so good and creamy, delicate and fresh but with well-defined flavors ( Due Coni Gambero Rosso in 2020 ); I fell in love with it, even though I live on the other side of Milan and I can’t enjoy it as much as I would like!
Also in this case we are talking about a small shop, owned by the ice cream maker Carlo Lanzoni, where you can find fresh ingredients and ice cream without junk inside, including those free of gluten and lactose ; the tastes vary from the classics to the more particular ones, such as genepì (an alpine liqueur based on aromatic herbs), that with sesame or the whimsical combinations of fruit. I tried my usual ones, but an honorable mention goes to the salted caramel which, here, is really salty at the right point.
Lo Gnomo Gelato
Three Gambero Rosso Cones for Andrea, Francesca and Marco, the ice cream makers who run this small ice cream shop where the ice cream is rich in flavor and the flavors are perfectly balanced. I was intrigued by the chocolate which, it seems, has won several awards: I tried the 85% dark one and I found it truly divine!
We also tried other flavors, all prepared with fresh and natural ingredients: Bronte pistachio, salted caramel, Piedmont hazelnut, gold cream … the tastes vary often and, every month, there is one dedicated to a region of Italy . Fruit flavors also look very good; as far as possible, they are made with national ingredients. Wafer cone: very good; instead of the wafer, they give you a biscuit which I think is made from Meliga pasta, and which is delicious! (the ice cream is the one on the cover of this post).
Oggi Gelato
“Today” stands for Officina Gelato Gusto Italiano : in this pretty shop on Corso Garibaldi and led by the ice cream maker Carmelo Chiaramida, the watchwords are freshness, quality and natural ingredients. We went there with friends and we tried many different flavors, as well as the granitas: all very good, including the waffle cone, even if it is not, for me, one of the best ice creams ever tasted.
The variety of tastes is great , and all are very nicely presented. They range from the classics – fiordilatte, yogurt, cream, zabaglione, hazelnut, pistachio, gianduia, coffee… – to those a little more particular. A few examples? Fiordilatte soaked with grappa, pumpkin and ginger, chocolate and rum mascarpone, chocolate nutmeg and mint …
Ottavo Senso
Definitely off the most popular circuits, Ottavo Senso for me is one of the best ice cream shops in Milan, and it is certainly on the list of my absolute favorites . The restaurant is small but well-kept, and there are also sorbets, granitas, ice cream cakes and gluten-free or lactose-free ice cream.
I tried two flavors with a good but not too intense flavor – ricotta with pistachio cream and mascarpone with caramelized figs -, and then three other flavors that I loved so much because they were beautiful, intense and full of flavor as I like them: cremino , hazelnut and salted peanut with caramel . At the counter, however, you will find many other flavors, some even particular: the selection of chocolate flavors declined in different variations is really rich.
Out of the box
A spacious and colorful corner shop, where slushes, ice cream cakes and sweets are also sold; this is Out of the box, an ice cream parlor that makes the naturalness of the ingredients the priority . As also stated in the sign at the entrance, all the ingredients are fresh and treated as little as possible to offer healthy ice cream, even in raw and wholemeal versions, without gluten and lactose and with a low glycemic index .
The mechanism of the choice of flavors is at first a bit complicated, but then the ice cream is simple, rich, tasty; there are classic flavors, “normal” and more particular fruit, some whimsical flavors: from bitter chocolate to hazelnut, from cassata to yogurt, from salted caramel to stracciatella with pear and cinnamon.
Paganelli
Tre Coni Gambero Rosso in 2020 and a historic shop in business for almost a century : Paganelli is certainly one of the best ice cream parlors in Milan. The restaurant is small but well-kept, with many classic and slightly revisited tastes. I tried my usual pistachio and hazelnut , but also spicy and crunchy dark chocolate , which I loved it: it is no coincidence that Paganelli has won several awards for chocolate ice cream!
I haven’t done it yet, but the sorbets, with the emblematic wine tastes of the place, and the rum-flavored whipped cream are also worth trying . The price in general is a little bit higher than the average.
Pavé Gelati & Granite
Considered one of the best ice cream parlors in Milan, I had very high expectations of this small and minimal-industrial venue, run by ice cream maker Simona Carmagnola and winner of Tre Coni Gambero Rosso in 2020 .
The tastes are always 16 and they change very often according to the fresh products that are available. I tried pistachio and sbrisolona , both exceptional, and then tea and biscuits : a fresh but somewhat particular taste that, in the long run, was a bit cloying. We also tried a couple of sorbets with fruity and floral flavors , apricot and mace: we didn’t like them very much, unfortunately. On the other hand, super waffle cone and whipped cream wonderful for me: spatula and not siphoned, not too sweet, perfect.
Among the more particular flavors that can be found, I point out tarte tatin, coffee and cardamom, almond with cherries, or fruit / spice combinations, such as orange and turmeric or melon and chilli.
Q.B. Gelato
The motto of the owners Marco and Valentina is “just enough for a naturally good ice cream” : I would say that it is flawless! In this small and cute ice cream parlor ( Due Coni Gambero Rosso in 2020 ), the ice cream is healthy and natural, prepared every day in the laboratory right next to the store.
I went to my classic salted pistachio and Sicilian cannoli : two real goodness! There are classic flavors such as vanilla and fruity, but also something more whimsical and exotic, such as the mix of mango, passion fruit, banana, coconut and lime, or the combined flavors: bread, butter and jam, walnuts and figs, white chocolate with Macha tea.
Rinomata Gelateria Artigianale
An iconic place in the Navigli area, the Rinomata won Un Cono Gambero Rosso in 2020 and is a historic ice cream parlor in Milan, right on the corner between the two waterways of the Milanese nightlife. The shop is small and very pretty, with a retro charm with a wooden sign and ice cream in the round tubs with a golden cap.
The flavors are mostly classic , so you will have no problem enjoying a good ice cream as it once was with the flavors of chocolate, vanilla, fiordilatte, stracciatella, hazelnut, yogurt, caramel, pistachio and so on. They also make crepes, ice cream brioches, slushes, hot chocolate and more.
Terra Gelato
Here is another one of my favorites, a place to eat ice cream in Milan and remember it for days and days! Due Coni Gambero Rosso in 2020 , Terra is the place of the ice cream maker Massimo Grosso; a modern and refined place, with tables on the upper floor and an open laboratory. The counter is beautifully rich in tastes, from the classics to the more creative ones, from those present all year round to those that vary according to the seasons.
I have also been here several times and I have tried many different flavors: the salted Sicilian pistachio is one of the best things I have ever tried! But also hazelnut, tiramisu, salted caramel, custard, eggnog … I’m crazy about peanut butter , but finding ice cream is not easy: here they do it, and it’s spatial! Sometimes you will also find very special and salty flavors, such as Parmigiano Reggiano, mint and peas, or butter and anchovies. I haven’t tried them yet, but they intrigue me a lot.
The other best ice cream shops in Milan to try
If we take Gambero Rosso’s yardstick for good, in Milan there are other ice cream parlors that, in 2020, obtained the coveted cones.
In addition to those already mentioned, Un Cono in:
– Marghera (Wagner-De Angeli area);
– Cerdini & Quenardel (Castello area);
– Buonarroti (Buonarroti area);
– Between the lines (Lambrate-Casoretto area);
– Vipi (Ticinese-Bocconi area);
– Toldo ( Brera -Castello area );
– Misciolgo (Bovisa area).
Due Coni, on the other hand, to:
– Award – winning Avgvsto ice cream parlor (Sant’Agostino area);
– Gusto 17 (Tortona-Porta Genova area);
– Orsi (Romolo area);
– Enrico Rizzi (Sant’Ambrogio-Colonne di San Lorenzo area);
– Rigoletto (various offices in the Brera, Tortona, Wagner and Washington areas);
– Next stop (Central Station area).
